Thread-cutter.



T. J. HANDRAHAN.

THREAD CUTTER.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 9, 1909.

934,439. Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

"IJNETED sTA'rnsrAtrENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. HANDRAHAN, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD-CUTTER.

Application filed July 9, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HANDBA- HAN, a subject of His Majesty, Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, whose residence and posto'ffice address is 107 Charles street, Boston, i

Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Thread-Cutters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel thread cutter which is designed to be used by seamstresses in severing a length of thread from a spool. Seamstresses very frequently, in fact almost universally, sever a length of thread from a spool by biting it off with their teeth. This mannef of severing the thread has the advantage that the end of the thread is frayed more or less instead of being cut with a clean cut so that when the seamstress twists the end of the thread between her thumb and finger, the twisted end of the thread is pointed and can be readily inserted into the eye of the needle.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel form of thread cutter to be used by seamstresses which will cut the thread with a frayed end.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the thread cutter is in the form of a heart and is so constructed that it may be worn as an ornament, but the foregoing, of course, is not essential. It can be made in other forms as might be preferable if, for instance, it should be used as a twine cutter.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of a thread cutter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a part sectional view on the line 0cw, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4t shows one of the cutters; Fig. 5 is an en larged sectional view on substantially the line y-y, Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a side view of the spacing block inserted between the cutters.

The body of the thread cutter is shown at 3 and it is comparatively thin with flat sides and has the general shape of a heart. Said body is provided with two recesses 4 and 5 which open at the edges 6 and 7 of the reentrant angle of the heart. Situated in these recesses are blades 9 and 10, said blades having their cutting edges 11 and 12 projecting slightly beyond the edges 6 and 7 of the re- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

Serial No. 506,765.

entrant angle. The two recesses are out of line with each other in a direction transversely to the body, and in the preferred embodiment of my invention the blades are separated by a spacing block 30, and each blade is also beveled on both sides thereby to form the cutting edges, as plainly seen in Fig. 5. With this construction the cutting edges are situated a slight distance apart so that when the thread is placed between them to be cut or severed, the thread will be acted on at two different places. The blades may be held in the recesses in any suitable way either by brazing or soldering them in, orby making them of such a size that they will be held in the recesses by frictional contact with the walls thereof. The body is shown as provided with a ring 13 at the point through which a ribbon or chain may be passed in order to permit the device to be hung from the neck of the seamstress.

In using the device, the seamstress will take the thread cutter in either hand, and after pulling a suitable length of thread from the spool, will draw the thread into the reentrant angle of the cutter 'between the cutting edges.

As seen in Fig. 5, the two cutting edges will act on opposite sides of the thread, but since they are situated out of line with each other and are separated a certain distance in the direction of the length of the thread, it will follow that the thread will be cut into on opposite sides at different points and will be severed in such a way that a frayed end will result. This fraying of the end can be increased if desired by drawing the thread across the edges of the cutters at the same time that it is drawn down into the angle.

With my improved cutter it is possible to quickly and easily cut a thread in such a way that the severed end will be more or less frayed, and as a result the thread can be readily twisted to a point preparatory to inserting it into the eye of a needle.

My invention may also be used for cutting twine as well as for cutting thread.

While the heart form makes a convenient shape for the cutter yet this shape is not essential to the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A thread cutter comprising a body formed with a reentrant angle and having the sides of its reentrant angle provided with cutting edges which are situated out of line with each other whereby the thread will 1e cut with a frayed end.

2. A thread cutter comprising a body formed with a reentrant angle and provided with recesses in its edge at its reentrant angle, and blades set into said recesses and having their cutting edges extending slightly beyond the edge of the recess and overlap ping each other whereby the thread will be cut with a frayed end.

3. A thread cutter comprising a body formed with a re'c'ntrant angle and provided with recesses in its edge at its reentrant angle, and blades set into said recesses and having their cutting edges extending slightly beyond the edge of the recess and overlapping and separated from each other whereby the thread will be outwith a frayed end.

In witness whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOlVIAS J. I-IANDRAHAN. Witnesses CHARLES WILE, V WVIL'LIAM N. MANSFIELD; 

